Integrando teoria e prática: Laboratório de Ciência da Informação e Memória e o desenvolvimento de competências discentes no curso de Biblioteconomia da Universidade Federal do Cariri

Abstract

This study analyzes the integration of theory and practice in the Library Science program at the Federal University of Cariri (UFCA), highlighting the role of the Information Science and Memory Laboratory (LACIM) in developing student competencies and preparing them academically and professionally. It addresses how the laboratory contributes to theoretical-practical training throughout the undergraduate program. Adopting a qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive approach, the study utilizes bibliographic and documentary research and data collection through interviews with three faculty members associated with the program and the laboratory, alongside the author's own reflections on her experience as a scholarship holder and intern at LACIM. It traces the historical and curricular evolution of the UFCA Library Science program, the creation and consolidation of LACIM, its infrastructure, and projects developed between 2022 and 2023 aimed at identifying and highlighting female authorship within the collection. The results demonstrate that the laboratory contributes to student training by confronting them with real-world demands that require the mobilization and adaptation of knowledge acquired at various stages of the program, particularly regarding the development of technical-scientific competencies. Furthermore, it notes that activities within the space go beyond technical procedures by integrating issues of memory, representation, and gender into the organization of the collection, although limitations regarding infrastructure, staffing, and physical space constrain the scope and continuity of these experiences. The study concludes that LACIM has established itself as a space that bridges teaching, research, and extension, contributing both to the professional development of students and to the preservation of the memory and cultural heritage of the Cariri region.